Taxonomy and Diversity of Psychodid Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) from Dry Deciduous Landscape of West Bengal, India

Moth flies and sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are of utmost importance due to their disease-spreading capabilities as mechanical and biological vectors, respectively. The present study documents the existence of psychodid fauna within animal sheds located in the dry deciduous landscape of West Bengal, which provides a unique habitat for these flies. A total of 516 psychodid flies have been collected from six animal sheds and further species level identification led to the presence of four species, viz. Phlebotomus argentipes Annandale and Brunetti, 1908; Sergentomyia punjabensis (Sinton, 1933); Psychoda alternata Say, 1824 and Psychoda makati del Rosario, 1936 in varying number across all those collection sites. Based on the number of collected specimens of different species, diversity indices (Shannon diversity index, Simpson’s index) have been calculated to quantify their diversity in different animal sheds. Results show that Shannon diversity index (H') is 0.787, represents a moderate diversity within the studied group while on the other hand Simpson’s index (1-D) is 0.489, which also suggests moderate species evenness of psychodid fauna. Both the indices imply some species dominancy to some extent in terms of other psychodid species but could not be concluded as dominating one. Based on this preliminary findings, further in-depth studies are crucial to enhance our understanding of the diversity of psychodid vector flies in domesticated animal habitats in this relatively underexplored region. Such investigations will offer valuable insights into the ecological roles of this significant faunal group, aiding in the broader comprehension of their potential impact on disease transmission and ecosystem functioning.